In the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Dumbledore tells Harry that “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live” while he is looking into the Mirror of Erised. The mirror reflects Harry’s deepest desires, and Dumbledore cautions him about focusing too much on those dreams. Dumbledore says this quote to Harry after declaring that the mirror is going to be moved and warns him not to go looking for it again.
Dumbledore asserts that the mirror does not give us knowledge or truth. He says men have wasted away in front of it and even gone mad focusing on what could be rather than what is.
While it is natural for us to dream about what we want the most, focusing on it too much takes us away from the present.
It reminds me of having a good dream and waking up in the middle of it. I try to go back to sleep and hope that I can pick up the dream where I left off. But going back to it rarely happens, and in the process of trying to hold onto that moment, I oversleep, run late to work, and then I feel frazzled all day.
When we focus too much on our dreams and what could be, we forget to live in the present.
For instance, most people get out of school and start a job. They have a dream of getting married, owning a home, and having kids. You know, the American Dream. But what this really looks like is 60-hour work weeks and feeling too exhausted to do anything after work or on the weekends. It’s a cycle of working to get ahead or working to save money to live later on in life. They are focused on the dream so much that they lose sight of the present.
While is important to think about the future, all we really have is now. Here are some tips to refocus your energy onto the present:
- Stop worrying about tomorrow. While it is smart to prepare for the future, it is not smart to let that exhaust your energy and take you from the present.
- Focus on what is happening in your life now and the people in your life. Enjoy the time you get to spend with family and friends. Be in the moment.
- Pay attention to and appreciate the small things in life. It is healthy to be content with what you have right now. There is still time to achieve your dreams, but don’t let the dreams suck the joy out of today.
- Appreciate where you are in life right now. There are lessons meant for you to learn that may prove beneficial to those dreams you have. Don’t miss out on them because you’re looking too far ahead.
There are many benefits to choosing to live in the moment. It can alleviate the stress associated with constantly trying to achieve a certain status or living up to expectations. And because we know stress contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity, being content with where you are right now may benefit your health.
Your relationships will also thrive and be healthier when you are present in the moment. It is hard to have a conversation with someone who is a million miles away, focused on the future, and too consumed with their own thoughts to really hear you.
Finally, the present is the only moment you can somewhat control. A lot can happen between the present and the future, and most of it will be beyond your control. While planning for the future is necessary, it’s important to balance it with living in the present. Living in the present also allows us to do those small things that, over time, will make a big difference in future.
